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Microsoft Launches NFC Payments For Windows 10 Phones (nfcworld.com)

Microsoft has finally added support for NFC payments to its mobile operating system Windows 10 Mobile. The company this week introduced the feature in an update to Microsoft Wallet app. Users will now be able to make mobile payments with their MasterCard or Visa accounts. The feature is now available to eligible Windows 10 Mobile handset users who are part of Windows Insiders program. Other users will get it with Windows 10 Anniversary Update in a few months. From a blog post on NFC World: Supporting banks and credit unions include Bank of America, BECU, Chase, First Tech, Fifth Third Bank, People's United Bank, US Bank and Virginia Credit Union. The launch date for each bank will be "posted when available," according to Microsoft. "Microsoft Wallet is a cloud-based payment technology that will make mobile payments simple and more secure for Windows 10 Mobile devices, starting in the US with our Lumia 950, 950 XL and 650," the company says. "With Microsoft Wallet, you simply tap your phone on a contactless payment terminal and your default credit or debit card is charged.

51 of 76 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Yes, now microsofties can enjoy... by Winckle · · Score: 1

    Idiotic scaremongering aside, you probably need a thumbprint or PIN code to pay, just like on android or apple pay.

    But sure make the sarcastic first post.

  2. Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    My friend works at a Sprint store. They have a Windows Phone in the back. No one is asking to see it, no one is demanding to buy it. A failed relic that belongs in the dustbin of history.

    1. Re:Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by ryanmetcalf · · Score: 1

      They do? I tried to buy one, but they didn't offer any of the Lumias at Sprint, so I ended up buying a Nexus from Google
      Can't even find Windows phones on their online site https://www.sprint.com/shop/?I...

    2. Re:Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by Stormwatch · · Score: 1

      I heard stores keep WP devices out of sight because of the very high return rate from dissatisfied consumers.

    3. Re:Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by CastrTroy · · Score: 3, Informative

      You can buy them unlocked directly from Microsoft on their website. No need to get the carrier involved.

      Also, why would anybody ask to see the phones if they are in the back? Most people would probably assume that the only phones that are available at the store are the ones on display.This is probably a lot to do with why they aren't catching on more. People don't see the phones at any of the stores, so they don't even think about getting one.

      Personally, I like Windows phone a lot more than iOS or Android. The whole experience is a lot better, and I get updates much more often. With my old Android phone, I never got a single update from the way they shipped it from the factory.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    4. Re:Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by HideyoshiJP · · Score: 1

      Sprint has always been awful with Windows Phone. Even when it was new and Sprint was still selling Windows Mobile devices, I basically had to beg them to sell me an HTC 7 Pro/HTC Arrive. That said, Microsoft shot themselves in the foot during the Nokia devices buyout, and I can't see anybody pushing it. Windows Phone has always had a lot of neat things, but after switching from my Lumia 925 to my Xperia Z3 and seeing how Microsoft has been treating the OS, I have no reason to go back.

    5. Re:Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by DogDude · · Score: 1

      That's funny. I'm on my third Windows Phone. My first two were at Sprint. Then, when I needed a new one, Sprint told me that it would be 6 months before they had even a single Windows Phone available to sell me. I switched to Verizon and got my newest Windows Phone there.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    6. Re: Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

      They're probably concerned with windows phone's rather high return rate. If they only make them available to people who specifically ask for them, then they can reduce the return rate.

      If Microsoft wants to solve that problem, then they should have taken their own UI design advice, which the tile interface completely ignores:

      https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.c...

    7. Re: Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by DogDude · · Score: 2

      The tile interface is the main reason I use the Windows Phone. The interface on Android and Apple look like my grandfather's Windows 95 desktop. Tons of unrelated icons on a grid? Really? You think that's really better than the customizable tiles?

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    8. Re: Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      The fact that Tiles make Windows Phone look like AOL from 95 is besides the point, right?

      Besides, My android home screens are exactly what I want, minimalistic, with only the icons for the six or eight things I regularly use, and everything else in the App Drawer (hidden). And the number of customizable Widgets (think "smart tiles") is way more numerous than any smart tile options Microsoft thinks its users want.

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    9. Re: Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      Yeah, and it's funny how Microsoft themselves can't seem to figure this one out, even though they make that argument themselves about Windows (the PC OS).

    10. Re:Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

      Great, so now you get to pay double for your phone service with Verizon, America's most expensive carrier.

    11. Re:Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by Ravaldy · · Score: 1

      It's really unfortunate and I'm one of the Windows mobile user moving away due to their failure at grabbing a substantial portion of the market. I gave them a shot and they can't seem to overcome the hurdle.

      Unfortunately I feel that neither Android or IOS fits the bill for every user. Android is flexible and has a huge apps list but it still lacks consistency between devices and OS versions. Additionally their backup/recovery system although better than before is still clunky between major OS versions. The UI still feels like a cheap rip off of the IOS UI and the device manufacturers don't support the OS after the release of new devices. On the other hand, IOS has a very nice UI and lots of apps but lacks the flexibility. The need for iCloud or iTunes or both and the lack of wanting to comply with industry standards makes me cross them off the list right away. Having said that the device I see most fitting away from Windows Mobile is the Samsung Note.

      I have worked with all devices and I personally preferred the Windows UI over all other UIs. The Windows phone was a functional phone that simply lacked niche applications and that is it's demise. Instead of spending hundreds of millions on ads they should have worked with the major carriers to have them sell their phones. Additionally they needed to have their own dev team make all the missing apps until popularity picked up.

    12. Re:Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

      Aren't they working hard on natively supporting apks, so they can import the Google app store?

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      Your ad here. Ask me how!
    13. Re:Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by PrescriptionWarning · · Score: 1

      They were just saving you from yourself

    14. Re: Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by aristotle-dude · · Score: 1

      The tile interface is the main reason I use the Windows Phone. The interface on Android and Apple look like my grandfather's Windows 95 desktop. Tons of unrelated icons on a grid? Really? You think that's really better than the customizable tiles?

      You can group icons under folders on both iOS and Android. I have both Android and iOS devices. Tiles on windows phone remind me of AOL or Compuserve from the 80's.

      --
      Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
    15. Re:Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by losfromla · · Score: 1

      It must have felt weird being the only non-employee in the Microsoft store.

      --
      Only I can judge you.
    16. Re:Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by tehlinux · · Score: 1

      You can't find one for sale on microsoftstore.com!

      --
      Most linux users don't know this, but the man pages were named after Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris fsck'ing hates noobs!
    17. Re: Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

      The interface on Android and Apple look like my grandfather's Windows 95 desktop. Tons of unrelated icons on a grid? Really? You think that's really better than the customizable tiles?

      I think the Android approach is better than that found in iOS and Windows Phone: A fully interactive widget when you need it, and an icon with space when you don't. Oh and did I mention that Windows Phone's "live" tiles are neither live nor interactive? They can only be updated once every 15 minutes at best, and the only thing you can do with them is tap to open the app, and flip in an interval that you have no control over. Android widgets meanwhile can scroll, show real-time information, and have individual objects that you can manipulate (for example, tapping a particular calendar event opens that event in the calendar app, instead of just opening the app itself.) As another example, I can place the Google Play "what song is this?" widget on my homescreen and tap it when I want to tag a song, and it will show me the song name without the need to open an app.

      WP has nothing on that, and is by all measures inferior, including at the API level. For example, want to create a custom VPN tunnel? Android has an API for that. WP does not (this makes it impossible to run OpenVPN on Windows Phone.) Want to open multiple documents at once in your app? Android can do that after you, the end user, explicitly grant it permission to access your user files (you can deny it too if you'd like, you just tap "deny" when it asks) however Windows Phone provides no such option and behaves with all of the same limitations of javascript.

      And for some reason, I'm supposed to believe windows phone is better...

    18. Re: Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

      My Windows 10 Mobile (it hasn't been WP for a year now) home screen only has the tiles for the things I use. The "all apps" tray hides everything else.

      That's actually another annoying thing about windows phone: When you want to find an app that isn't pinned to your start screen, you have to scroll down a big list with large fonts. Android's alphabetical grid icon system makes it much easier to find less often used apps.

      The smart tiles save space by making app icons work like widgets. It's far less confusing as well. I can't count the number of times I've had to explain "widgets" to Android users. They aren't a good design. Windows' "smart tiles" are far superior.

      You're joking, right? They're in every way inferior. See my post here:

      https://slashdot.org/comments....

    19. Re:Windows Phones... Do they sell them? by Ravaldy · · Score: 1

      I believe they are working 2 different angles with apks being one of them.

      The reality is that they look like the black sheep at this point. Convincing people to buy their product will require them to give a lot of it for free.

  3. ...why? by ilsaloving · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I thought Microsoft is abandoning the mobile platform entirely, because of overwhelmingly poor sales.

    Also... considering their hideous track record for security in general (Most recently: https://threatpost.com/office-... which was nothing short of breathtakingly boneheaded...), even if I had a Windows Phone (which I never will), I would never trust it to hold something as important as my credit card details.

    1. Re:...why? by DogDude · · Score: 3

      MS never said they were abandoning their mobile platform. You must be confused by the never ending train of articles on /. by self-appointed "experts" who say Windows Phone is dead. MS never announced any such thing.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    2. Re:...why? by SeaFox · · Score: 1

      MS never announced any such thing.

      Microsoft rarely announces they are abandoning a product line they have recently been promoting. They just stop releasing new products in the line, then the frequency of updates to existing released models slows (if applicable)... then three or so years later, when most people have changed off out of frustration, do they EOL of the product. That was what happened with Zune, too.

  4. Re:And Kevin likes it by tripleevenfall · · Score: 1

    Be serious. There are dozen Windows Phone users who are applauding this.

  5. Finally? by Richard_at_work · · Score: 2

    You've been able to do this for ages in Windows 10 for Phones:

    1. Settings
    2. Devices
    3. NFC
    4. Tap to pay

    It defaults to adding the cost to your phone bill, but you can add additional cards and payment method management apps as well.

    I've been buying stuff using a linked card for 6 months now.

    This just sounds like MS are adding an easier management system to it all and thats whats been noticed.

    1. Re:Finally? by aristotle-dude · · Score: 1

      You've been able to do this for ages in Windows 10 for Phones:

      1. Settings 2. Devices 3. NFC 4. Tap to pay

      It defaults to adding the cost to your phone bill, but you can add additional cards and payment method management apps as well.

      I've been buying stuff using a linked card for 6 months now.

      This just sounds like MS are adding an easier management system to it all and thats whats been noticed.

      Cool. So I guess it is kind of nice to be able to have the entire userbase of windows 10 phone have a meetup at a local Starbucks. ;) Did you ask the other guy what he thinks of the feature?

      --
      Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
  6. Re:And Kevin likes it by wkwilley2 · · Score: 1

    There are DOZENS of us and we hate it.

    --
    Have you ever fallen asleep at the keybhanusdiog?
  7. im sure the response was shocking by nimbius · · Score: 1

    Supporting banks and credit unions include Bank of America, BECU, Chase, First Tech, Fifth Third Bank, People's United Bank, US Bank and Virginia Credit Union.

    who all responded, "Windows has a phone?"

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
  8. Eh what? by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    If you tap it, how is that contactless?

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    1. Re:Eh what? by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Pedantry at it's finest!

      *Golf clap*.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  9. The police will not pass up this opportunity by schwit1 · · Score: 1

    They started stealing from debit cards. Do you think they aren't already planning to do the same to your bank account via NFC?

    1. Re: The police will not pass up this opportunity by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

      This isn't going to be based on the same tech, if it works anything like the Android variant. In other words, your phone doesn't just send your account numbers to anybody who asks, and even when you approve it to do so, it sends a one time code that is useless afterwards.

      Phone based NFC payments are by far more secure than any other common payment method, to be honest, particularly if you use fingerprint authentication combined with a pin, because somebody would not only have to capture your print, but shoulder surf you as well. This essentially obsoletes any form of skimming, in addition to defeating the problem of a lost and then stolen card.

      Besides that, even if this was somehow less secure, (unlikely) most banks won't make you pay a cent for fraudulent transactions.

  10. Re:Windows Phone offers NFC payment... by Opportunist · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I'd have said "Both users who wanted this feature are enthusiastic".

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  11. They still make Windows phones? by mmell · · Score: 2

    (N/T)

  12. Re:Yes, now microsofties can enjoy... by cayenne8 · · Score: 1
    Yeah..I"m wondering, are there THAT many people out there that want to and actually use their phones to keep all their CC info on to pay with?

    I just don't want or trust it really....

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  13. Re:And Kevin likes it by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

    I know a few of people with Windows Phones (although most of them work for MSR, so it's a slightly biased sample set), but none of them with a phone new enough to support NFC.

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  14. Nokia before WP... by Stormwatch · · Score: 1

    Fun fact: Nokia had a mobile payment system back in 2010, which was wildly successful in India and was about to be launched in other developing countries. Yet, they shut it down in 2012. Guess why? Because that service was compatible with Nokia's own systems - S40, Symbian, Meego - but not with shitty Windows Phone!

  15. Re:Yes, now microsofties can enjoy... by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2

    But think how convenient it is. You can replace a thin piece of plastic that doesn't require a battery with a device many times the size that does!

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  16. Re:Yes, now microsofties can enjoy... by geekmux · · Score: 1

    Idiotic scaremongering aside, you probably need a thumbprint or PIN code to pay, just like on android or apple pay.

    But sure make the sarcastic first post.

    Your confidence in Windows security is summed up nicely here.

    Thanks. I needed that laugh today.

  17. All the Win10 phones? by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    Both of them?

  18. What an innovative feature! by bmk67 · · Score: 1

    I can imagine that the billions of Windows Phone users must be thrilled to have this feature first, years before the competition. It's no wonder that Windows Phone is the leader in mobile operating systems.

    What will Microsoft think of next?

    Suck it, Google! Kiss my ass, Apple!

  19. Re:So What? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

    This is all true, but users still refuse to abandon the Windows platform, no matter how rapey it gets. So what incentive does MS have to change?

  20. Re:Late or not? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

    What kind of horribly company do you work for that all your co-workers have Windows Phones?

    You can look for a new job, you know.

  21. Re:So What? by mfh · · Score: 1

    Well someone will take a different tack with software and OS in the future placing user authority as #1. Much like "Quality is Job 1" Ford commercials... "Users are #1" as a mantra is something that some lucky big corporation will get to milk for years.

    If a company like Tesla would hurry up and release an OS and business documents suite, I'd be really happy.

    OSes are pretty basic things if you gut the bloatware and go minimalist. Linux does a good job but they don't make it easy for the mainstream public.

    Document suites are really easy too. All you need is something that can apply CSS templates to whatever word you have highlighted; or go line by line. You'd want a spreadsheet. Nothing the extravaganza that Excel is.

    Open Office does these things but they don't compete against MSFT in the best way. They go toe-to-toe with features. That's stupid. They should have gone pure minimalist.

    I suspect someone will do this and rake in the cash as a lot of folks would make the switch.

    --
    The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
  22. NFC for windows phones by phorm · · Score: 1

    As in "Nobody F***ing Cares" ?
    They've had that feature since inception!

  23. Wrong Summary by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 1

    Prepaid debit cards, which hold the funds in a sort of anonymous way. Which is something criminals often use to move large sums of cash.

    While the same scanners will work with cards linked to actual accounts, the civil forfeiture program doesn't allow forfeiture in that case. It does allow the confiscation of more than $X or cash equivalents. Which debit cards are.

    TL;DR this doesn't change any of the legal requirements, nor whether those particular cards were confiscatible. It just changes whether a trooper can detect the amount on the cards. I oppose this because I would like to see where a supervisor got involved (or higher) before performing a civil forfeiture. But I don't think the police department should be denied these devices.

    --
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  24. Re:So What? by Grishnakh · · Score: 1

    Well someone will take a different tack with software and OS in the future placing user authority as #1.

    Oh please. We've all been talking about "the year of Linux on the desktop" for over 15 years now, and it hasn't happened, or really come even close. Even Macs have had a lot more success in penetrating the business computing sector. Red Hat and Canonical have been at this stuff for ages with no real success (except on servers of course).

    If a company like Tesla would hurry up and release an OS and business documents suite, I'd be really happy.

    We already have other business documents suites: OpenOffice and LibreOffice have been around for ages, and there's also Google Docs. People aren't using them much; businesses especially are sticking with MS Office. And why would an automaker get into business software anyway?

    OSes are pretty basic things if you gut the bloatware and go minimalist. Linux does a good job but they don't make it easy for the mainstream public.

    Yes, they do actually. Installing something like Linux Mint is pretty easy, and a whole lot easier than installing Windows. I'd really like to see someone sit grandma down at a desktop PC built from components and have her install the latest Windows on it. You really think grandma is going to be able to figure out how to download drivers for stuff? And then get all the essential but not-included software you still need to make it functional (like a real web browser, a PDF viewer, etc.)? With Linux, you can have a fully-functional system in a half-hour all from one USB stick. Making things easy makes no difference at all; people are going to continue to use Windows.

    Open Office does these things but they don't compete against MSFT in the best way. They go toe-to-toe with features. That's stupid. They should have gone pure minimalist.

    Yeah, I'm sure that's really what mainstream users want: to replace their word processor with a text editor with CSS templates. *rollseyes*

  25. Re: So What? by Lije+Baley · · Score: 1

    FWIW, the last PC I built required nothing in extra drivers for grandma's needs. Windows 10 already installed the correct ones, and not just crappy defaults like the old days.
    On the other hand, my Mint box still has a worse UI, despite Microsoft's regressions, and the updates have to quit working every year or so, for no good reason.

    --
    Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K.
  26. Re:And Kevin likes it by arglebargle_xiv · · Score: 1

    There are dozen Windows Phone users who are applauding this.

    "Do not think for one moment that that is the only Windows Phone user in the whole Soviet Union. There are dozens of users just like that one. Literally dozens".

  27. Re: So What? by mfh · · Score: 1

    At least with Linux you can wipe/reload without any expense or licensing hassle. Backup your data and you're good to go.

    With Windows? Expect to have to buy a new computer for every new major update because that's the carrot or the stick policy engineered to fail.

    --
    The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.